You know them from all your favorite Bollywood movies, but Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh’s latest venture is part of a different world altogether: the smart protein ecosystem. Over the last few years, the Bollywood-superstars-slash-entrepreneurs have been working with GFI India to cook up something big. Their startup — Imagine Meats — is set to change the way we eat. They, along with the host of Indian smart protein companies that have been cropping up recently, are bringing alternatives to animal protein to market, tailor-made for the Indian palate. 

In this lightning episode of Season 2.5, Riteish, Genelia, and our host Varun Deshpande delve into India’s meat eating habits, chat about serving up plant-based meat with an Indian spin on it, and discuss how the smart protein ecosystem can support local flavors, farmers, and food supply.Riteish and Genelia also share their own experiences with making the switch to a plant-based diet, their cravings for ‘meat on a Mangalvar’, and their appreciation for the diversity found within India’s food and culture. Tune in to catch the conversation! 

Resources for further reading:Building the plant-based meat category in India with a splash:Coverage by the Indian Express on Imagine Meats (https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/food-wine/genelia-and-riteish-deshmukh-announce-plans-to-launch-plant-based-meat-products-6514952/)

A Twitter thread explaining the importance of big-splash category creation((https://twitter.com/varund7/status/1363528357665673216))

Coverage by the Indian Express on Domino’s India launching their own plant-based meat pizza (https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/food-wine/would-you-like-a-slice-of-vegetarian-chicken-pizza-7116625/)

Sustainability implications of plant-based meat, collating international data of launched companies globally, from The Good Food Institute(https://gfi.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GFI-Plant-Based-Meat-Fact-Sheet_Environmental-Comparison.pdf)

Indian consumers’ receptivity to smart protein, from Penn State University and The Good Food Institute India(https://agfundernews.com/no-market-for-meat-alternatives-in-veggie-india-think-again-study-says.html)

(https://gfi.org.in/new-study-highlights-plant-based-and-cultivated-meat-acceptance-in-the-u-s-china-and-india/)

Follow Ritesh & Geneila:Twitter: twitter.com/riteishd & twitter.com/geneliadInstagram: instagram.com/riteishd & instagram.com/geneliad



You can connect with Varun Deshpande:

LinkedIn | Twitter

Find GFI on Social Media:

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube

You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: IVM Podcasts - Apps on Google Play or iOS: ‎IVM Podcasts, or any other podcast app.

You can check out our website at https://shows.ivmpodcasts.com/featured

<div>You know them from all your favorite Bollywood movies, but Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh’s latest venture is part of a different world altogether: the smart protein ecosystem. Over the last few years, the Bollywood-superstars-slash-entrepreneurs have been working with GFI India to cook up something big. Their startup — Imagine Meats — is set to change the way we eat. They, along with the host of Indian smart protein companies that have been cropping up recently, are bringing alternatives to animal protein to market, tailor-made for the Indian palate.&nbsp;<br><br></div><div>In this lightning episode of Season 2.5, Riteish, Genelia, and our host Varun Deshpande delve into India’s meat eating habits, chat about serving up plant-based meat with an Indian spin on it, and discuss how the smart protein ecosystem can support local flavors, farmers, and food supply.</div><div>Riteish and Genelia also share their own experiences with making the switch to a plant-based diet, their cravings for ‘meat on a Mangalvar’, and their appreciation for the diversity found within India’s food and culture. Tune in to catch the conversation! <br><br></div><div>Resources for further reading:</div><div>Building the plant-based meat category in India with a splash:</div><div>Coverage by the Indian Express on Imagine Meats </div><div>(https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/food-wine/genelia-and-riteish-deshmukh-announce-plans-to-launch-plant-based-meat-products-6514952/)<br><br></div><div>A Twitter thread explaining the importance of big-splash category creation</div><div>((https://twitter.com/varund7/status/1363528357665673216))<br><br></div><div>Coverage by the Indian Express on Domino’s India launching their own plant-based meat pizza </div><div>(https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/food-wine/would-you-like-a-slice-of-vegetarian-chicken-pizza-7116625/)<br><br></div><div>Sustainability implications of plant-based meat, collating international data of launched companies globally, from The Good Food Institute</div><div>(https://gfi.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GFI-Plant-Based-Meat-Fact-Sheet_Environmental-Comparison.pdf)<br><br></div><div>Indian consumers’ receptivity to smart protein, from Penn State University and The Good Food Institute India</div><div>(https://agfundernews.com/no-market-for-meat-alternatives-in-veggie-india-think-again-study-says.html)<br><br></div><div>(https://gfi.org.in/new-study-highlights-plant-based-and-cultivated-meat-acceptance-in-the-u-s-china-and-india/)<br><br></div><div>Follow Ritesh &amp; Geneila:</div><div>Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/riteishd" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-auto-link="true" data-href="http://twitter.com/riteishd">twitter.com/riteishd</span></a> &amp; <a href="twitter.com/geneliad" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">twitter.com/geneliad</a></div><div>Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/riteishd" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-auto-link="true" data-href="http://instagram.com/riteishd">instagram.com/riteishd</span></a> &amp; <a href="http://instagram.com/geneliad" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span data-auto-link="true" data-href="http://instagram.com/geneliad">instagram.com/geneliad</span></a><br><br> </div><div><p>You can connect with Varun Deshpande:</p><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/varund7/?originalSubdomain=in" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">LinkedIn</a> |<a href="https://twitter.com/varund7?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Twitter</a></p><p>Find GFI on Social Media:</p><p><a href="https://gfi.org.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Website</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/GoodFoodIndia" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/goodfoodinstituteindia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/goodfoodinstituteindia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-good-food-institute-india/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">LinkedIn</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqqJJR6F3JuQ09mobsIahMQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouTube</a></p><p>You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: IVM Podcasts - Apps on Google Play or iOS: ‎IVM Podcasts, or any other podcast app.</p><p>You can check out our website at <a href="https://shows.ivmpodcasts.com/featured" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://shows.ivmpodcasts.com/featured</a></p></div>

By the year 2050 we will have 10 billion people on our planet - a sixth of whom will be in India. If we want to feed all 10 billion of us in a sustainable, healthy and just way, we need to reimagine how we source our food. Feeding ourselves cannot come at the cost of global health, worsening greenhouse gas emissions, excessive land, water and resource use, zoonotic diseases, antibiotic resistance, and needless suffering. Last season, we brought you a ringside view of the next food revolution that is rethinking the future of protein. Companies like Memphis Meats, Impossible Foods, Beyond Meat and JUST Egg had a blockbuster year making meat, eggs, and other animal-sourced foods from plants, or cells, or other ingredients that are delicious and nutritious for us, and vastly better for the planet. The Covid-19 pandemic has only made the importance of protein diversification evident. If you want to be part of the future of food and work on solutions to some of the biggest problems of our time, join the Good Food Institute’s Varun Deshpande and Ramya Ramamurthy on Season 2 of Feeding 10 Billion

<p>By the year 2050 we will have 10 billion people on our planet - a sixth of whom will be in India. If we want to feed all 10 billion of us in a sustainable, healthy and just way, we need to reimagine how we source our food. Feeding ourselves cannot come at the cost of global health, worsening greenhouse gas emissions, excessive land, water and resource use, zoonotic diseases, antibiotic resistance, and needless suffering. Last season, we brought you a ringside view of the next food revolution that is rethinking the future of protein. Companies like Memphis Meats, Impossible Foods, Beyond Meat and JUST Egg had a blockbuster year making meat, eggs, and other animal-sourced foods from plants, or cells, or other ingredients that are delicious and nutritious for us, and vastly better for the planet. The Covid-19 pandemic has only made the importance of protein diversification evident. If you want to be part of the future of food and work on solutions to some of the biggest problems of our time, join the Good Food Institute’s Varun Deshpande and Ramya Ramamurthy on Season 2 of Feeding 10 Billion</p>

By the year 2050 we will have 10 billion people on our planet - a sixth of whom will be in India. If we want to feed all 10 billion of us in a sustainable, healthy and just way, we need to reimagine how we source our food.

Feeding 10 Billion

Varun Deshpande speaks to Riteish & Genelia Deshmukh about their alternative to meat brand Imagine Meats

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